Boot-cleaner



(No Model.)

J. W. DOWLER.

Boot. Gleaner.

Patented May 10,1881.

UNiTED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOSEPH W. DOWLER, OF NORMANDY, MISSOURI.

BOOT-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 241,318, dated May 10, 1881.

Application filed February 28, 1881.

T 0 all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. DOWLER, of Normandy, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boot-Cleaners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of bootcleaners in which brushes are used to clean the upper portion of the foot, in combination with scraping-bars for cleaning the sole of the boot.

My invention consists, first, in setting the scraping-bars at an inclination on their side pieces.

My invention consists, secondly, in retaining the forward ends of the brushes by means of chains from bearing against each other, and thus, to a certain extent, destroying the bristles.

My invention consists, thirdly, in the combination of parts hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section, showing the inclination of the bars of the grate and the way the dirt would fall from their scraping-edges.

A is the foot-piece or platform, upon which one footis placed while the other is being cleaned to keep the device from moving. The foot-piece A is firmly attached to the box B, made with inclined sides B and ends I) b.

O is a grate, with side bars, a, and cross-bars or scrapers c. The grate 0 rests on'a ledge, N, in the box B. The cross-bars c are inclined forward and are formed with acute scrapingedges for 'eleanin g the soles of the boot. There is an advantage in having the scrapers inclined forward, because the dirt will not cling to the sides of the scrapers, as it would were the scrapers upright.

D D are brushes, whose faces are provided with bristles set at an inclination, so as to better clean the boot as it is drawn through be- (No model.)

tween the brushes. The boot is passed between the brushes in the direction indicated by the arrow. The brushes are removably pivoted by their outer ends to pins 0 secured to a lug cast upon the grate 0.

To the brushes are secured springs F, whose free ends bear against pins f, which, like the pins 6, are secured to lugs on the grate O. The springs keep the brushes against the foot.

G are chains connected to the free ends of the brushes and to the sides B of the box. The purpose of the chains is to keep the free ends of the brushes from pressing against each other under the force of the springs.

The platform A, including the box B, is preferably made of wood.

The grate G is made of metal, cast in one piece with the pins 0 f. In casting the grate the pins are placed in the mold, and are thus made part of the grate, and are in one piece with it when it is removed from the mold. By casting the grate in this way in one piece with the pins, the cost of drilling holes for the pins and theliability ofthc pins beinglostis avoided.

To clean the box B of accumulated dirt it is only necessary to remove the brushes from their pins 0 and remove the grate 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the foot-piece A and brushes D, the grate (J, having its scrapingbars 0 set at an inclination to the side pieces of the grate, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the foot-piece A, grate O, and pivoted brushes D, the springs F and the chains G, for keeping apart the free ends of the brushes, as set forth.

3. The combination of foot-piece A, box B, grate G, brushes D, pins 0 and f, springs F, and chains G, all arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

JOS. V. DOWLER.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEO. H. KNIGHT. 

